2013 Los Angeles Auto Show Preview

The opening day of the 2013 Los Angeles Auto Show gets underway Wednesday, and the new car and concept reveals are coming hard and fast. This year, the opening day of the 2013 Tokyo Motor Show takes place on the same date, making things even busier than usual.

The L.A. Auto Show doesn’t boast the international awareness that rival shows in New York and even Tokyo enjoy, but it still manages to draw in the big crowds. The show is typically the place automakers present models just weeks out from their respective showroom debuts, and this year looks to be no different, with at least 22 world premieres scheduled.

In addition to the all the new models, the show also brings journalists and industry executives from around the world, as well as design competitions, technology showcases, green car awards, and, of course, your dedicated Motor Authority team. We’ll be walking the halls of the Los Angeles Convention Center to bring you the photos, news, and the unexpected as it happens.

Here’s a quick overview of what to expect. And don’t forget, you can access our most up-to-date coverage via our dedicated hub.

2015 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT Final Edition: The SLS AMG supercar is on its way out and the final version of the car will be shown in L.A. It will be built in a run of just 350 cars and represents your last chance to order a new SLS AMG. There’s no extra power on tap, but it’s not like the car’s 6.2-liter V-8 engine is lacking in this department. This means output should equal the 583 horsepower and 479 pound-feet of the current SLS AMG GT.

2015 Jaguar F-Type Coupe: The yin to this year’s Jaguar F-Type convertible’s yang is coming next spring in the form of the new F-Type Coupe. We’ll get our first look at the car in L.A. next week but Jaguar just couldn’t contain itself from releasing this teaser image. Debuting in production form with few deviations from the stunning C-X16 Concept, first shown at the 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show, the Jaguar F-Type Coupe looks to benefit from a glass roof and what appears to be an active rear spoiler. Having already driven the convertible, we can safely say that the new F-Type Coupe’s fixed roof should make an already impressive car even better.

2014 Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet: Porsche will drop the top on its potent 911 Turbo and Turbo S models in L.A. The convertible versions, known as “Cabriolets” in Porsche-speak, look to be just as extreme as those of the coupe models we drove recently. Owners can expect 0-60 mph times of just over 3.0 seconds in either model and a top speed approaching 200 mph. In case you’re interested, the 911 Turbo Cabriolet is priced from $161,650 while the Turbo S Cabriolet will set you back $194,850. Sales begin early next year.

2015 Subaru WRX and WRX STI: Subaru is confirmed to unveil a new model in L.A., and it’s widely expected that the model in question will be the long-awaited 2015 WRX. The news gets even better, however, as both the regular WRX and its sportier WRX STI variant are expected to make simultaneous debuts as the upcoming show. We’ve been spying prototypes for months, though sadly they bear little resemblance to the striking WRX concept car unveiled by Subaru back at the 2013 New York Auto Show.

Mercedes-Benz AMG Vision Gran Turismo Concept: Mercedes-Benz has designed a striking supercar concept for the Sony PlayStation 3’s Gran Turismo 6 video game. A life-size version of the virtual car has been built, however, and we’ll get to see it up close in L.A. Peak output of 577 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque comes from AMG’s familiar twin-turbocharged 5.5-liter V-8, and performance should be scintillating given the fact that the concept weighs just 3,053 pounds thanks to its lightweight construction.

2015 Porsche Macan: Porsche is expanding its lineup with two brand new models. One will be the 918 Spyder at the top of the range and the other will be the Macan crossover positioned at the bottom. It is the latter we’ll see for the first time in L.A. Production of the Macan will start later this year at Porsche’s plant in Leipzig, Germany, with sales to commence by next spring. The Macan is a crucial model for Porsche, as the automaker expects it to be its top-seller. Though it’s not yet confirmed, the Macan is expected to arrive in showrooms initially in sportier Macan S and Macan Turbo trim. A base model, possibly with a four-cylinder engine, will be launched at a later date.

Hit the next couple of pages to see what else will be on display at the 2013 Los Angeles Auto Show, and remember to visit our dedicated hub for all the latest updates.